Shadows of You by Catherine Cowles | Audiobook Review • Ana's Attic Book Blog

Shadows of You: The Lost & Found Series, Book 4 by Catherine Cowles

Narrated by Maxine Mitchell and Zachary Webber

Romantic Suspense. Can stand alone, but it’s the fourth in a related series.

I have obsessed over Catherine Cowles’s books for the last 3-4 years and I have loved all 14 I have read. I was so excited for Roan’s story and Shadows of You didn’t disappoint, but I will say they are starting to all be a little too predictable and similar in the suspense storyline. Because I know her style, I was able to guess the baddy the second they were introduced.

Did that stop me from loving the book? Nope! Because I didn’t know if I was right or not! Even if I did, Catherine’s characters and their stories make me love her books as much as the mysteries do. In this case, we have a single mom, Aspen, and her adorable daughter Cady who are in hiding. Over the 5 years they’ve been in this small town with new identities, they have taken in a bunch of animals who need rehabilitation. They are animal lovers through and through, so when they saw a deer in a snowstorm with wire around its neck, they called Fish and Wildlife and Roan responded to the call.

“The little girl’s gaze cut to me, so much like her mother’s, it froze me to the spot.
“You’re going to help my mama save Bambi?”
Fuck me. I couldn’t say no to that face or the damn deer.”

Roan is a big, grumpy, growly guy and Cady immediately made up a name for him, Mr. Grizz. After that encounter, Aspen thought of him often until she was invited to The Hartley’s house for dinner and she realized Roan was one of the siblings! After Roan was accused of a heinous crime that he didn’t do, he retreated from everyone, including family and friends, so he rarely made appearances, but Aspen and Cady started to break through that gruff, standoffish wall.

“You need some cereal, Mr. Grizz,” Cady said around her bite of Cap’n Crunch. “You’re hangry.”

When it looks like Aspen’s past is catching up with her, Roan needs to protect her—what better way than moving in and sleeping on the couch?

“You were the light in the shadows. A glimmer of hope when I felt like all mine had been burned out.”

I have learned with Catherine that the bad guys are always who you least expect, which now makes me expect that! So this time I guessed right. I was pretty proud of myself, but also a little disappointed—I was hoping for a twist I never expected, and Shadows of You followed her same basic format. I think this is pretty common in romantic suspense series; I remember saying the same thing with another one of my favorite authors—it got to the point that I knew that at 90% someone would be kidnapped—but I still loved her books.

There is one more book to come in the Lost & Found Series, and it’s Lawson’s story, the one I’m most looking forward to! I’m not sure what is next for Catherine but I hope she shakes things up a little with her next series or they will start to become too similar.

Likes:

I absolutely loved Aspen and Cady.
Roan was the perfect grumpy to their sunshine.
Visiting with all the Hartleys.
The animals.
The suspense was exciting.
Her covers are always gorgeous.
Brought out all my emotions.
Cady was absolutely adorable, and I loved her mean girl storyline.

Dislikes:

The stories are starting to be a bit too similar and I was able to guess the baddy.

The Narration:

Maxine Mitchell and Zachary Webber are two of my favorites and they did an amazing job on this—they were perfect for the characters, and they both made Cady even more adorable.

The Down & Dirty:

If this was my first Catherine Cowles series this story would have been 5 stars. I loved the characters, the pace, the supporting characters, and the suspense. But after 14 of her books, I am seeing a pattern, and that makes the stories a little more predictable. I still totally love her writing and this series, but I am hoping I am completely surprised by her next series.